Sunday 4 March 2018 21:01, UK
Who were the best Premier League players from the weekend games? We take a look at the man-of-the-match performances in our hotlist...
Fresh from his dynamic showing against West Ham, the England international sparked Liverpool into life with an assist for the key opening goal against a stubborn Newcastle defence. His energy through the middle of the park caused the visitors problems throughout and his quality on the ball stood him out from the crowd on what was a stuttering performance from the Reds.
Restored to the starting line-up after missing out against Crystal Palace last weekend, Son staked his claim for a place in the XI against Juventus with an excellent display.
He looked bright and threatening from the start and showed good composure and technique to score the opener, taking it around Lossl with his right foot and finishing with his left. The second goal was also well taken from a bouncing cross and he received a warm ovation when he was taken off in the 70th minute.
Six goals in six games… not bad for a 34-year-old! The Brighton striker's first-half strike was his 11th of the season in the Premier League, which is more than any Arsenal player has managed in this campaign. He was quick to praise his supply line at full-time, but Murray led the line superbly and, perhaps surprisingly, made more sprints than any other player on the pitch.
Maybe those work-weary legs explain why he opted to hold the ball up rather than run at goal when played clean through in the closing stages.
It proved to be another trademark performance from the Spaniard. With Conte choosing not start either Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud, City were tasked with breaking down Chelsea and yet again Silva was key in doing so. The midfielder kept things ticking over when a combination of Chelsea resilience and the weather tried to bog down City's title charge, while his cross for his namesake to score the winner was measured to perfection.
It looked as though Barnes would have to settle for an afternoon of frustration as his exploits in the first half were met by the brilliance of Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal. But the Burnley striker plugged away and got his just rewards, inspiring a comeback with his well-taken equaliser, which saw him score in consecutive Premier League games for the first time since December 2014.
Bournemouth's captain was a rock at the heart of the visitors' back line all afternoon long, getting his head on virtually every ball into the box, as well as making a succession of vital clearances.
So no one will have felt more aggrieved when Mahrez levelled matters late on for Leicester to deny the Cherries what would have been a huge win in their efforts to stay in the top flight.
In a game of few chances, the Stoke defence continued their resurgence with Zouma showing further signs of maturity during his loan spell from Chelsea.
His positional play was outstanding here, and the clean sheet owed much to his discipline and athleticism during Southampton's second-half onslaught.
Southampton whipped countless balls into the box through Ryan Bertrand and Redmond, but the French defender made several vital clearances and limited the number of shots on Butland's goal.
After a 14-game spell without a goal or an assist for Swansea in the Premier League, Ki has now a hand in four goals in his last four league apps (two goals, two assists) after his goal and assist in the first half at the Liberty. His corner caused havoc for Swansea's third goal, too. The South Korea international won 100 per cent of his duels as didn't neglect his defensive duties. Ensuring Ki extends his current contract beyond the summer must be a top priority.
Rondon proved a real handful for the Watford defence all afternoon, drawing a foul and a booking out of Mariappa after half-time.
With some better finishing he could have put West Brom ahead, and he had more shots than anyone else on the field.
Even then, his physical presence helped relieve pressure on their defence and allow them to get up-field time after time, and his defending from the front won possession back for the Baggies more than any other player on their side.
